Jacques Chirac President of France from 1995 - 2007 Early political career Inspired by General Charles de Gaulle to enter public life, Chirac continued pursuing civil service in the 1950s. He attended Harvard University's summer School before entering the Ã‰cole Nationale d'Administration (the elite, competitive-entrance college that trains France's top civil servants) in 1957. He earned a graduate degree from the Ã‰cole Nationale d'Administration and in 1959. He then became a civil servant and rose rapidly through the ranks. In April 1962, only three years after having graduated from the Ã‰cole Nationale d'Administration, Chirac was appointed head of the personal staff of Georges Pompidou, then prime minister under de Gaulle. This appointment launched Chirac's political career. Pompidou considered Chirac his protÃ©gÃ© and referred to him as "my bulldozer" for his skill at getting things done. The nickname "Le Bulldozer" caught on in French political circles. Chirac still maintains this reputation.

"Chirac cuts through the crap and comes straight to the point. ... It's refreshing, although you have to put your seat belt on when you work with him," said an anonymous British diplomat in 1995. [1] ( At Pompidou's suggestion, Chirac ran as a Gaullist for a seat in the National Assembly in 1967. Chirac won the election and was given a post in the ministry of social affairs. (Gaullists have historically supported a strong central government and independence in foreign policy.) Although more of a "Pompidolian" than a "Gaullist," Chirac was well situated in de Gaulle's entourage, being related by marriage to the general's sole companion at the time of the June 1940 Appel. Chirac already rose to become economy minister in the late 1960s, serving as department head and a secretary of state. As state secretary at the Ministry of Economy and Finance (1968-71), he had worked closely with Giscard d'Estaing, who had then headed the ministry.

In 1968, when student and worker strikes rocked France, Chirac played a central role in negotiating a truce. Chirac's first high-level post came in 1972 when he became minister of agriculture and rural development under his mentor Georges Pompidou, who was elected president in 1969. He quickly earned a reputation as a champion of French farmers' interests. As minister of agriculture, Chirac first attracted international attention when he assailed U.S., West German, and European Commission agricultural policies that conflicted with French interests. In 1974 Chirac was appointed minister of the interior. As minister of the interior from March 1974 he was entrusted by President Pompidou with preparations for the presidential election then scheduled for 1976. However, these elections were brought forward by Pompidou's sudden death on April 2. In 1974 former minister of economy and finance ValÃ©ry Giscard d'Estaing, a non-Gaullist centrist, was elected Pompidou's successor amid France's most competitive election campaign in years.

Prime minister, 1974-76 On May 29, 1974 Chirac (left) replaced Pierre Messmer (right) as prime minister on the steps of the HÃ´tel Matignon.When Giscard became president, Chirac was nominated as prime minister by Giscard on May 27, 1974. At the age of just 41, Chirac stood out as the very model of the jeunes loups ("young wolves") of French political life. However, the government could not afford to ignore the narrow margin by which Giscard d'Estaing had defeated the United Left candidate, FranÃ§ois Mitterrand in 1974. Giscard, not himself a member of the Gaullist Union des DÃ©mocrates pour la RÃ©publique (UDR), saw in the essentially pragmatic Chirac the qualities needed to reconcile the "Giscardian" and "non-Giscardian" factions of the parliamentary majority.

As premier, Chirac quickly set about persuading the Gaullists that, despite the social reforms proposed by President Giscard, the basic tenets of Gaullism, such as national and European independence, would be retained. Citing Giscard's unwillingness to give him authority, Chirac resigned as prime ministers in 1976. He proceeded to build up his political base among France's several conservative parties. His goal was to reconstitute the Gaullist UDR into a neo-Gaullist group, the Rally for the Republic. Mayor of Paris By an astute move he secured his election as secretary-general of the Gaullist UDR in the face of potential opposition from the party "barons" and soon afterwards consolidated his hold over the majority by easily defeating an opposition motion of censure. Chirac also formed the conservative Rally of the Republic movement in 1976 to perpetuate the policies of Charles de Gaulle. With the new party firmly under his control, Chirac was elected mayor of Paris in 1977, a position he held until 1995. As mayor of Paris, Chirac's political influence grew.

As mayor, he provided for programs to help the elderly, people with disabilities, and single mothers, while providing incentives for businesses to stay in Paris. In 1978, he attacked pro-European ValÃ©ry Giscard d'Estaing's Union for French Democracy as being the "pro-foreign party" (in the "call of Cochin"). In 1981 Chirac made his first run for president. Chirac ran against sitting president Giscard, thus splitting the center-right vote; both Chirac and Giscard were defeated by Socialist FranÃ§ois Mitterrand. When a strong conservative coalition won a slight majority in the National Assembly in 1986, Mitterrand appointed Chirac prime minister. This power-sharing arrangement, known as cohabitation, gave Chirac the lead in domestic affairs. Chirac sought the presidency and ran against Mitterrand for a second time in 1988, but was defeated in runoff elections. However, he remained mayor of Paris and active in parliament. Chirac has been named in several cases of alleged corruption and abuse which occurred during his office term as mayor, some of which have already led to felony convictions.

However a controversial judicial decision from 1999 grants him virtual immunity, as current president of France. He has refused to testify on these matters, arguing that this would be incompatible with his presidential functions. See Corruption scandals in the Paris region. Presidency The Grand-Croix of the Legion of Honor is conferred on Chirac during his inauguration as President of the French Republic on May 17, 1995.His 18 years as mayor of Paris finally proved the launching pad for his first successful bid for his first successful bid for the French presidency. On his third attempt to win the French presidency, Mayor Jacques Chirac of Paris finally succeeded in May 1995, narrowly beating Socialist Party challenger Lionel Jospin. Shortly after taking office, Chiracâ€”undaunted by international protests by angry environmental groupsâ€”insisted upon the resumption of nuclear tests at Mururoa Atoll in French Polynesia in 1995. Reacting to criticism, Chirac said, "You only have to look back at 1935. ...

There were people then who were against France arming itself, and look what happened." Chirac announced on February 1, 1996 that France had ended "once and for all" its nuclear testing, intending to accede to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Chirac was elected on a platform of tax cuts and job programs, but his policies did little to ease the recent labor strikes during his first months in office. On the domestic front, neoliberal economic austerity measures introduced by Chirac and his conservative prime minister Alain JuppÃ©, including budgetary cutbacks, proved highly unpopular. At the year's end Chirac faced major workers' strikes. One of his nicknames is Chameleon Bonaparte. Another is La Girouette ("the weathervane"). At one point an anti-European Gaullist, he became a champion of the euro as president. In September 1998 Chirac first met with German Chancellor Gerhard SchrÃ¶der. Trying to firm up his party's government coalition, in 1997 Chirac dissolved parliament for early legislative elections in a gamble designed to bolster support for his conservative economic program. But this strategy backfired.

Chirac's dismissal of the parliament created an uproar, and his power was weakened by the subsequent backlash. The Socialist Party, joined by other parties on the left, soundly defeated Chirac's conservative allies, forcing Chirac into a new period of cohabitation with Jospin as prime minister. This power-sharing arrangement between Chirac and Jospin lasted five years. Cohabitation significantly weakened the power of Chirac's presidency. The French president only controls foreign and military policyâ€”and even then, allocation of funding is under the significant influence of the prime minister. Short of dissolving parliament and calling for new elections, the president was left with little power to influence public policy regarding crime, the economy, and public services. He has generally stood for lower tax rates, the removal of price controls, strong punishments for crime and terrorism and business privatization. However, he also, at other times, argued for more "social" economic policies and was elected in 1995 after a campaign where he said he would reduce the "social rift" (fracture sociale).

On July 14, 2002 during Bastille Day celebrations, Chirac survived an assassination attempt by a lone gunman with a rifle hidden in a guitar case. The would-be assassin fired a shot towards the presidential motorcade, before being overpowered by bystanders. The gunman, Maxime Brunerie, was later found unfit to stand trial due to mental incapacity; the violent far-right group with which he was associated, UnitÃ© Radicale was then administratively dissolved. Brunerie had also been candidate for the Mouvement National RÃ©publicain party at a local elections. Second term as president President Chirac and United States President George W. Bush talk over issues during the G-8 sessions, July 21, 2001.At age 69, Chirac faced his fourth presidential campaign in 2002. He was the first choice of fewer than one voter in five in the first-round of voting in April 2002. In the election of 2002 he opposed controversial rightwing extremist Jean-Marie Le Pen of the anti-immigrant National Front and won re-election by a landslide.

(Le Pen had shocked the world when he edged past Prime Minister Jospin in the first round of presidential balloting to qualify for the runoff election.) "We must reject extremism in the name of the honor of France, in the name of the unity of our own nation," Chirac said before the presidential election. "I call on all French to massively vote for republican ideals against the extreme right." [2] ( Chirac emerged as a leading voice against the Bush administration's conduct in the Middle East. Despite intense U.S. pressure, Chirac threatened to veto any resolution in the U.N. Security Council that would authorize the use of force to disarm Iraq until UN weapons inspectors in Iraq were given more time. (cf. Governments' pre-war positions on invasion of Iraq, Global protests against war on Iraq). France Ministers See also France Heads and France Parliament 1936 Undersecretary of State for Industrial Research Prof. dr. Irene Joliot-Curie Daughter of Prof. dr. Marie Sklodowska-Currie and dr. Pierre Curie who got the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and Marie got the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911.

Irene and her husband, Frï¿½dï¿½ric Joliot got the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1935.

She lived (1897-1956) 1936 Undersecretary of State for Health Suzanne Lacore She lived (1877-1975) 1936 Undersecretary of State for Education Cecilie Brunshvig She was President of the Union for Female Sufrage and lived (1875-1946) 1946-47 Undersecretary of State for Youth and Sports Andrï¿½e Viï¿½not She lived (1901-76) 1947-48 Minister of Public Health and Population Germaine Poinso-Chapuis Member of the Constituant Assembly 1945 and of the National Assembly until 1955, Municipal Councillor in Marseilles, and lived (1901-81) 1957 Undersecretary of State of Reconstruction and Housing Jacqueline Thomï¿½-Patenï¿½tre General Councillor of Dourdan et de Saint-Lï¿½ger-en-Yvelines 1946-79, Mayor of Rambouillet, 1947-83, Senator

 1948-58, MP 1958-78 ad Vice-President of the Assemblï¿½e Nationale 1960-68, MEP 1984-89.

She lived (1906-95). 1958-62 Secretary of State by the Prime Minsiter, charged with Social Affairs in Algeria and the Evolution of the Personal Status of the Rights of Muslims Nafissa Sid-Cara Professor and MP for Algeria 1958-62, Inspector General for Social Affairs 1975-79. She lived (1910-2002). 1968 Secretary of State for Education Marie-Madeleine Dienesch 1968-69 Secretary of State for Social Affairs 1969-74 Secretary of State of Social Action and Readaptation Secretary of lï¿½Assemblï¿½e constituante 1945, MP 1945-81, Ambassador to Luxembourg de 1975-78, General Counccillor of the Canton de Plouguenast dans les Cï¿½tes-du-Nord 1976-1982. Also member of the Regional Council of Bretagne of the European Parliament.

She lived (1914-98) 1973-74 Secretary of State of Public Education Suzanne Ploux Mayor of Pont-de-Buis 1945-1974, Councillor General of the Canton du Faou 1955-70, MP 1962-73. She lived (1908-92). 1974-76 Secretary of State for Justice Dr. Hï¿½lï¿½ne Dorlhac de Borne 1988-91 Secretary of State for Family and Seniors Senior Member of the Council of State 1984-88. (b. 1935-) 1974-79 Minister of Public Health and Social Affairs Simone Veil 1993-95 First Minister of State (Deputy Premier) and Minister of Housing, Social Affairs, Public Health, and Development of Cities In 1979-84 President and 1985-89 Vice-President of the European Parliament, 1984-89 President of the Liberal Group of the European Parliament.

From 1998 member of the Constitutional Court. (b. 1927-) 1974-76 Secretary of State for Women Franï¿½oise Giroud 1976-77 Minister of Culture Vice-President of Parti Radicale 1975-76, Vice-President of UDF 1978-79 She died after falling in a theatre hitting her head. Born as Lea France Gourdji by Turkish parents in Switzerland, and lived (1916-2003) 1974-76 Secretary of State of Public Education Annie Lesur Medical doctor. (b. 1926-) 1976-78 Secretary of State of Trade for Consumers' protection Christiane Scrivener 1989-95 European Communities-Commissioner for Taxes, Revenue Harmonization and Consumer Policies (b.

1925- ) 1976-78 Secretary of State of Universities Alice Saunier-Seï¿½tï¿½ 1978-81 Minister of Universities 1981 Minister of Families and the Condition of Women An academic, Municipal Councillor of Paris from 1983, and lived (1925-2003) 1977-78 Secretary of State for Social Affairs and Public Health Hï¿½lï¿½ne Missoffe Vice-President of Conceil Regional dï¿½Ile-de-France 1981-86. Mother of Franï¿½oise de Panafieu, who was Minister of Tourism from 1995. (b. 1927-) 1977-78 Secretary of State by the Prime Minister for the Condition of Working Women Nicole Pasquier 1979-80 Secretary of State for Environment 1980-81 Secretary of State for Labour (b.

1930-) 1978 Secretary of State for Justice Monique Pelletier 1978-81 Minister-Delegate for Family and Women's Affairs Advocate, Member of the Constitutional Court 2000-04. (b. 1926-) 1981 Minister of State (Deputy Premier) and Minister of Social Affairs Nicole Questiaux 1981-83 Minister of Social Affairs First female lawyer admitted to the Council of State (Supreme Court) in 1963, Since 1988 President of the Section for Civil Service and from 1995 Vice-President of the Council dï¿½Etat. (b.

1930-) 1981-83 Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food ï¿½dith Cresson 1983-86 Minister of External Trade 1984-86 Minister of Industry 1988-90 Minister of European Affairs 1991-92 Premier Ministre (15.5.91-4.4.92) 1995-99 Commissioner of the European Union for Science, Research, Education and Youth In march 1999 she was one of the contributing factors in the downfall of the EU-Commission as she refused the step down after a rapport had demonstrated that she was responsible of nepotism and mismanagement. (b. 1934-) 1981-85 Minister-Delegate by the Premier Minister for Women's Rights Yvette Roudy 1985-86 Minister of Women's Rights MP from 1986. Vice-President of Lï¿½Assemblï¿½e Nationale 1997-98 and Secretary 1998-2002. (b.

1929-) 1981-85 Minister-Delegate of Youth and Sport in the Ministry of Leisure, Sport and Youth Edwige Avice 1984-86 Secretary of State for Defence 1988-91 Minister-Delegate for Foreign Affairs 1991-92 Minister for Co-operation and Development Socialist MP 1978-93. (b. 1945-) 1981 Secretary of State by the Premier Minister for Civil Service and Administrative Reform Catherine Lalumiï¿½re 1981-83 Minister of Consumer Affairs 1983-84 Secretary of State of Finance for Consumer Affairs 1984-86 Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs Secretary General of European the Council 1989-94, Vice-Chairperson 1995-97 and 1997-99 Chairperson of the European Radical Alliance Group of the European Parliament and Vice-President of the Parliament 2001-04. (b.

1934-) 1983-86 Minister of National Solidarity and Social Affairs Georgina Dufoix 1984-86 Spokesperson of the Government Socialist MP 1986-88, President of French Red Cross 1988-92. (b. 1943-) 1983-84 Secretary of State for Environment and Quality of Life Huguette Bouchardeau 1984-86 Minister of Environment Secretary General of Parti Socialiste Unifiï¿½ 1979-81, Presidential Candidate 1981 and MP 1983-93, Candidate for the Post of President of the National Assembly in 1992. (b. 1935-) 1986-88 Minister of Public Health and Family Dr.

Michï¿½le Barzach Deputy Mayor of the 15th arrondissement of Paris and Regional Councillor of Ile de France 1986-88, Socialist MP 1988-90, Member of the European Parliament in 1989, Deputy Mayor of Paris 1989-95. Grew up in Morocco, (b. 1943-) 1986-88 Minister-Delegate for the Condition of Women Hï¿½lï¿½ne Gisserot Lawyer, Procurator General. (b.

1936-) 1986-88 Secretary of State by the Premier for the Francophonie Lucette Michaux-Chevry 1993-95 Minister-Delegate of Foreign Affairs for Humanitarian Actions and Human Rights 1995- Councillor of the President of the Republic President of the Conseil General 1982-85 and President of the Conseil Regional Guadeloupe 1992-2004, Mayor of Gourbeyre 1987-95, both Senator and Mayor of Basse-Terre from 1995. (b.

1929-) 1986-88 Secretary of State for Public Education Michï¿½le Alliot-Marie 1993-95 Minister of Youth and Sports 2002-07 Minister of Defence (2005-) 2002-05 Minister of Veteran Affairs 2007-09 Minister of Interior, Overseas' Affairs and Territorial Collectivities 2009-11 Minister of State 2009-10 Guardian of the Seals, Minister of Justice and the Liberties 2010-11 Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs Since 1994 1. Vice-President of the General Council of the Department of Pyrï¿½nï¿½es-Atlantique, 1999-2002 President of RPR, Rally for the Republic ï¿½ the conservative Party of President Chirac. In 2005 she was mentioned as a possible contender for the post of Prime Minister.

From October 2006 she was a candidate in the internal UMP-party primaries to elect a Presidential Candidate against Minister of Interior Nicolas Sarkosy de Nagy-Bocsa, before she withdrew in December. Unsuccessful candidate for parliament in 2012. (b. 1946-) 1986-88 Secretary of State for Public Education Nicole Catala Deputy Mayor of Paris 1989-95, Vice-President of the Assemblï¿½e Nationale 1993-97 and 1999-2002 and in 1997 she was the Gaullist candidate for the post of Assembly President. (b.

1936-) 1988-91 Secretary of State of Finance for Consumerï¿½s Affairs Vï¿½ronique Neiertz 1991-92 Secretary of State of Womenï¿½s Affairs by the Minister of Labour 1992-93 Secretary of State of Finance for Consumerï¿½s Affairs and Womenï¿½s Affairs Socialist MP 1981-2002, Secretary of the Foreign Affairs' Committee 1981-86, Spokesperson 1983-86 and Vice-President of the Parliamentary Group of Parti Socialiste 1986-88. (b. 1942-) 1988-92 Secretary of State for Women's Rights and Equal Rights Between Men and Women Michï¿½le Andrï¿½ Senator from 2001, Senate Vice-President 2004-08. Also Regional Councillor of Auvergne, Vice-Prï¿½sident of the General Council of Puy-de-Dï¿½me and Deputy Mayor of Clermont-Ferrand (b.

1947-) 1988 Secretary of State for Seniors and Handicapped Catherine Trautmann 1997-2000 Minister of Culture and Communication 1997-98 Government Spokesperson Socialist MP and MEP, Mayor of Strassbourg 1989-97 . (b. 1951-) 1988-91 Minister-Delegate for Communication in the Ministry of Culture and Communication Catherine Tasca 1991-92 Minister-Delegate of Foreign Affairs for the Francophonie 1992-93 Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs for the Francophonie and External Cultural Relations 2000-02 Minister of Culture and Communication Socialist MP 1997-2004 and Senator from 2004 and Vice-President of the Senate 2008-11. (b.

1941-) 1991-93 Minister-Delegate of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs ï¿½lisabeth Guigou 1997-2000 Keeper of the Seals and Minister of Justice (Third in the Cabinet until the beginning of 2000) 2000-02 Minister of Employment and Solidarity (Again third in Cabinet) In 1995-97 Vice-President of the Socialist Group of the European Parliament and later Spokesperson of the Socialist Party, in 2012 she was candidate for the post of President of the National Assembly in the socialist party's internal election - a man was selected. (b. 1946- ) 1991-93 Minister of Labour Martine Aubry 1997-2000 Minister of Employment and Solidarity (Second in Cabinet until 2000 when she became third) Designated to become Premier Minister if the Socialists had won the 1995 Presidential elections, 1.

Deputy Mayor of Lille 1995-2001, Vice-President of the Urban Community of Lille 1995-2008 and President of the Community from 2008. During her second tenure as Minister she was in charge of Health, Social Affairs, Employment, Labour and Professional Training, Cities, Family and Children and Economic Solidarity and was assisted by several Delegate-Ministers and Secretaries of State. Since 2001 Mayor of Lille and Councillor of State (at disposition) since 2006, First Secretary of the Socialist Party from 2008 and finished second in the second round of the presidential candidate primaries in 2011. In 2012 she was considered one of the main contenders for the post of Prime Minister but then the President chose a man, she thnaked now to another post in the government. Daughter of the Jacque Delors, President of the European Commission 1985-93 and former minister. Mother of one child. (b.

1950-) 1992-93 Minister of Environment Sï¿½golï¿½ne Royal 1997-2000 Minister-Delegate of National Education, Technology & Science 2000-02 Minister-Delegate of Family and Childhood 2014- Minister of Environment, Durable Development and Energy (Third in the cabinet) 2016- Minister of the Sea and charged with International Climate Relations President of National Council of the Socialist Party 1994-95, President of the Regional Council of Poitou-Charentes 2004-13, finished second in the scond round of the Presidential Elections in 2007, candidate for the post of leader of the Socialist Party but narrowly lost to Martine Aubry 2008 and finished fourth in the Socialist presidential primary in 2011 and the following year she was her party's nominee for President of the Assembly but she lost the seat to a former member of the socialist party.

Mother of 4 children with her former partner through almost 30 year, the Socialist Party Secretary until 2008, Franï¿½ois Hollande, who became French President in 2012. (b. 1953-) 1992-93 Minister-Delegate for Housing Marie-Noï¿½lle Lienemann 2001-02 Secretary of State of Housing in the Ministry of Equipment, Transport and Housing Vice-President of the European Parliament 1999-2001. (b. 1951-) 1992-93 Minister of Youth and Sports Frï¿½dï¿½rique Bredin (b. 1956-) 1993-95 There were no Secretaries of State 1995-97 Minister of Environment Dr. Corinne Lepage-Jessua Leader of Cap 21, right wing environmentalist group from 2001. Presidential Candidate in 2002 and 2007. (b.

1951-) 1995 Minister of Public Health and Medical Insurance ï¿½lisabeth Hubert 1995-2007 Councillor of the President Former Deputy Secretary General of the Gaullists, RPR. (b. 1956-) 1995 Minister of Solidarity between the Generations, Family and Womenï¿½s Affairs Colette Codaccioni She is mother of 9 children. (b. 1942-) 1995 Minister of Tourism Franï¿½oise de Panafieu Deputy Mayor Paris 1980-2001, MP since 1986, 1996-97 Ambassador to UNESCO, Mayor of the 17e arrondissement since 2001 and Vice-Prï¿½sident of the Parliamentary Group of UMP from 2002. daughter of former Secretary of State Hï¿½lï¿½ne Misoffe, and former Minister of Finance Franï¿½ois Misoffe. (b.

1948-) 1995 Secretary of State by the Premier Minister for Employment Anne Marie Couderc 1995-97 Minister-Delegate for Employment Deputy Mayor of Paris for Properties and Environment 1989-95. (b. 1950-) 1995-97 Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs for the Francophonie Margie Sudre-Demaiche President of the Regional Council of Rï¿½union 1993-98.(Born in Viet Nam in 1943-) 1995 Secretary of State of National Education for Research Elisabeth Dufourcq (b. 1940-) 1995 Secretary of State of National Education for Schools Prof. Franï¿½oise Hostalier (b. 1953- ) 1995 Secretary of State for Transport Anne-Marie Idrac 1995-97 Secretary of State of Public Works, Transport and Tourism 2008-10 Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, attached to the Minister for the Economy, Industry and Employment Later CEO of the French Railways, SNCF. (b.

1951-) 1995 Secretary of State for Difficult Neighborhoods by the Minister of Integration Franï¿½oise de Veyrinas Deputy Mayor of Toulouse charged with Social Affairs 1993-95. (b. 1943-) 1995 Secretary of State for Decentralization Nicole Ameline 2002 Secretary of State of Seas by the Minister of Supply, Transport, Housing, Tourism and Seas 2002-04 Minister-Delegate of Parity and Professional Equality in the Ministry of Social Affairs, Labour and Solidarity 2004-07 Minister of Parity and Professional Equality Since 1998 Vice-President of the Regional Council of Basse-Normandie (b. 1952-) 1995 Secretary of State of Industry and Commerce for External Trade Christie Chauvet (b. 1949-) 1997-2001 Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Domenique Voyonet Since 1995 Leader of Les Verts, the Green Party, 1995 and 2007 Presidential Candidate. From 2001 National Secretary. (b.

1958- ) 1997-2001 Minister of Youth and Sports Marie-George Buffet Secretary General and Leader of Parti Communiste 2001-10 after many years as a leading member. Presidential Candidate in 2007. (b. 1949-) 1997-2000 Secretary of State of Finance, Economy and Industry for Small Bussiness, Commerce and Artisans 2000-02 Keeper of the Seals and Minister of Justice 2012- Minister of State Reform, Decentralisation and the Civil Service Marilyse Lebranchu Secretary of the National Assembly from 2007. (b. 1947-) 1997-2001 Secretary of State of Tourism in The Ministry of Equipment, Sport and Tourism Michelle Demessine Leading member of Parti Communiste. From 2004 Secretary of the Senate. 1997-2001 Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anne Gazeau-Secrï¿½t Until 2006 Ambassador to the Netherlands and from 2006 to Denmark. (b.

1947-) 1998-2002 Secretary of State of Womenï¿½s Rights and Professional Education Nicole Pery In 1981-97 Member of the European Parliament and 1984-97 its Vice-President, 1997-98 Charged with the Mission by the Premier Minister for Languages and Regional Cultures. 1999-2001 Secretary of State for Public Health and Handicapped Dominique Gillot Former member of a regional council and a leading member of the Green Party. In 2001 she resigned from the government to become mayor of Eragny-sur-Oise.(b. 1949-) 2000-02 Secretary of State of Budget in the Ministry of Education, Finance, and Industry Florence Parly She had a number of administrative posts before becoming Councillor of the Premier Minister for Budgetary Affairs in 1997. (b.

1963-) 2001-02 Secretary of State for Health and Handicapped Paulette Guinchard-Kunstler Vice-President of Lï¿½Assamblï¿½e Nationale from 2002. 2002-04 Minister of Ecology and Durable Development Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin 2007-10 Minister of Health and Sport 2007-10 Minister of Youth 2008-10 Minister of Associations 2010-12 Minister of Solidarity and Social Cohesion Vice-President of the Regional Council of the Pays de Loire since 1986 and Adjoint Secretary General of RPR since 2001 and Spokesperson of the Reelection Campaign of President Chirac in 2002. (b.

1946-) 2002-05 Minister of Overseas' Affairs Brigitte Girardin 2005-07 Minister-Delegate Cooperation, Development and the Francophonie in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs She was Administrator-Superieur of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands 1998-2000 and Technical Advisor of the President of France in Charge of Arctic Affairs 2002-2002. (b. 1953-) 2002-04 Minister-Delegate of European Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Noï¿½lle Lenoir Member of the Constitutional Council since 1992. (b. 1948-) 2002-04 Minister-Delegate of Industry in the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry Nicole Fontaine Vice-President 1984-99 and President of the European Parliament 1999-2002. (b.

1942-) 2002-04 Minister-Delegate of Research and New Technologies in the Ministry of Youth, National Education and Research 2004-05 Minister-Delegate of European Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Claudine Haignerï¿½ Space Scientist and the first woman to have been twice in the orbit in 1996 and 2001 under the name of C. Andrï¿½-Deshays. (b. 1957-). 2002-05 Secretary of State of Durable Development in the Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development Tokia Saï¿½fi Member of the European Parliament since 1999. Of Algerian origin. (b. 1959-) 2002-05 Secretary of State for the Fight against Prejustice and Exclusion at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Labour and Solidarity Dominique Versini From 1998 regional councillor of ï¿½le-de-France and candidate for the Presidency. Of Moroccan origin. (b. 1954-).

2002-05 Secretary of State of Handicapped Persons in the Ministry of Public Health, Family and Handicapped Persons Marie-Thï¿½rï¿½se Bousseau Became 1. Vice-President of the Counseil Rï¿½gional of Bretagne in 1998. (b. 1941-). 2004 Minister of Family and Children Marie-Josï¿½ Roig 2004-05 Minister-Delegate of Interior, Internal Security and Local Liberties Deputy Mayor of Avignon 1983-89 and Mayor since 2001. (b. 1938-). 2004-05 Minister-Delegate for the Fight Against Exclution in the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Protection 2005-07 Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Nelly Olin Former Vice-Prï¿½sident du conseil gï¿½nï¿½ral du Val-d'Oise and 2001-04 Secretary of the Senate. (b. 1941-).

2004-05 Secretary of State for Handicapped Persons in the Ministry of Public Health and Social Protection Marie-Anne Montchamp Unsuccessful candidate for parliament in 2012 2004-05 Secretary of State for Integration and Equal Chances in the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Protection Catherine Vautrin MP from 2002. (b. 1960-). 2004 Secretary of State for Immobility Programmes by the Ministry of Justice Nicole Guedj 2004-05 Secretary of State for the Rights of Victims by the Ministry of Justice Of Algerian origin. (b. 1955). 2005-07 Minister-Delegate for Cohersion and Parity in the Ministry of Employment, Social Cohersion and Housing Catherine Vautrain 2005-07 Minister-Delegate of European Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna Former Spokesperson of Jacque Chirac and of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

2005-07 Minister-Delegate of External Commerce in the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry Christine Lagarde 2007 Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries 2007-11 Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry 2007-10 Minister of Employment Lawyer in France and USA. Managing Director of the International Monetary Fond, IMF from 2011. (b. 1955-). No Secretaries of State 2005-07 2007-09 Keeper of the Seals and Minister of Justice Rachida Dati Worked in the Ministry of Interior from 2002 and was Spokesperson of the election campaign of Sarkozy, Member of the European Parliament from 2009. Of Moroccan origin, unmarried and mother of a daughter born in 2009. (b. 1965-). 2007-09 Minister of Culture and Communication, Government Spokesperson Christine Albanel Former Presidential Advisor, Councillor of State from 2000. (b. 1955-).

2007 Minister of Social Cohesion Christine Boutin 2007-09 Minister of Housing and Cities F ormer municipal and regional councillor, former mayor and deputy mayor, Vice-President of the Grand Council of Yvelines 1994-2009 and Acting President May-July 2009, MP 1986-2007. (b. 1944-) 2007-11 Minister of Research and Higher Education Valï¿½rie Pï¿½cresse 2011-12 Minister of Budget, Public Assets, State Reform and Spokesperson of the Government The cabinet in 2007 had 7 female and 9 male members. MP from 2002 and Regional President of the Region of Ile de France from 2015. (b. 1967-).

2007-09 Secretary of State of Labour, Social Relations and Solidarity, charged with Solidarity Valï¿½rie Lï¿½tard 2009-10 Secretary of State of Ecology, Environment and Sustainable Development Senator from 2001, Vice-President of UDF from 2006 and former Vice-President of the Centrist-UDF Union in the Senate. Candidate for the post of Regional President of the Region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais in 2010. (b. 1962-). 2007-09 Secretary of State of Environment, Sustainable Planning and Development, charged with Ecology 2009-10 Secretary of State by the Prime Minister in charge of the Perspectives and Development of the Numeric Economy 2010-12 Minister of Ecology, Durable Development, Transport and Housing Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet MP from 2002 and candidate for Mayor of Paris in 2014 and then became Leader of the Assembly Group of Les Rï¿½publcains in the City Council of Paris. Candidate in the party's presidential candidate primaries in 2016. (b.

1973-). 2007-09 Secretary of State of Housing and the Cities, charged with Urban Affairs Fadela Amara 2009-10 Secretary of State of Urban Policies by the Minister of Labour, Social Relations, Family, Solidarity and Cities Municipal Councillor from 2001. (b. 1964-). 2007-09 Secretary of State of Foreign and European Affairs, charged with Foreign Affairs and Human Rights 2009-10 Secretary of State of Sports, attached to the Ministry of Health and Sports Rama Yade UMP Secretary for the Francophonie from 2006. (b.

1976 in Senegal) 2008-10 Secretary of State for the Family, attached to the Minister of Labour, Labour Relations, the Family and Solidarity Nadine Morano 2010-12 Minister in the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Health charged with Apprenticeship and Vocational Training Unsuccessful candidate for parliament in 2012 2009-10 Secretary of State of Ecology, Environment and Sustainable Development Chantal Jouanno 2010-11 Minister of Sports Former Advisor of former president Sarkozy. Senator from 2011. (b.

1969-)2009-10 Secretary of State of Seniors, attached to the Minister of Labour, Labour Relations, the Family and Solidarity Nora Berra 2010-12 Secretary of State of Health 2009 Secretary of State of Overseas Affairs, attached to the Minister of Interior, Overseas' Affairs and Territorial Collectivities 2009-10 Minister of Overseas Affairs in the Ministry of Interior 2010-12 Minister in the Ministry of Interior, Overseas Affairs, Territorial Collectives and Immigration, charged with Overseas Affairs Marie-Luce Penchard 2010-12 Secretary of State of Solidarity Marie-Anne Monchamp 2010-12 Secretary of State of Youth and Associations Jeannette Bougrab 2011-12 Secretary of State of Solidarity, Social Cohesion charged with Family Glaude Greff 2012-16 Minister of Justice and Guardian of the Seals Christiane Taubira Presidential Candidate in 2002, MP representing French Guyana.

2012- Minister of Social Affairs and Health Marisol Touraine 2014-16 Minister of Women's Rights President of the Conseil Gï¿½nï¿½ral dï¿½Indre-et-Loire 2011-12. 2012-14 Minister of Territorial Equality and Housing Cï¿½cile Duflot Party Secretary of Europe ï¿½cologieï¿½The Greens 2006-12 and Co-Chair of the Group in the National Assembly 2015-16. In 2014 she was offered the position as Second in Cabinet, but her party left the government. In 2016 she was candidate in the party primaries together with Karima Delli and Michï¿½le Rivasi, but the only male became the party's presidential candidate. (b.

1975-) 2012 Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy Nicole Bricq 2012-14 Minister of External Trade 2012-14 Minister of Culture and communication Aurï¿½lie Filippetti 2012-14 Minister of Higher Edcuation and Research Geneviï¿½ve Fioraso 2013-15 State Secretary of Education charged with Higher Education and Research 2012-14 Minister of Women's Rights Najat Vallaud Belkacem 2012-14 Government Spokesperson 2014 Minister of Cities, Youth and Sports 2014- Minister of Education, Science and Research 2012-14 Minister-Delegate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Frenchmen Abroard and the Francophonie Yamina Benguigui 2012 Minister-Delegate of Sports and Youth Valï¿½rie Fourneyron 2012-14 Minister of Sports, Youth, Popular Education and Associations 2014- Secretary of State of Economy charged with Commerce, Handicraft and Consumer Affairs 2012 Minister-Delegate

 of Justice Delphine Batho 2012-14 Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy 2012-14 Minister-Delegate of Educative Resources George Pau-Langevin 2014-16 Minister of Overseas Territories Originally from Guadalupe, she is a Socialist MP from Paris 2012-14 Minister-Delegate of Seniors Michï¿½le Delaunay 2012-14 Minister-Delegate of Family Dominique Bertinotti 2012-14 Minister-Delegate of Disabled Marie-Arlette Carlotti 2012-14 Minister-Delegate of Handicrafts, Commerce and Tourism Sylvia Pinel 2014-16 Minister of Housing and Territorial Equality 2012-14 Minister-Delegate of Small and Medium Entreprises, Innovation and Numeric Economy Fleur Pellerin 2014 Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs charged with External Trade, Promotion of Torisum and the Frenchmen Abroard 2014-16 Minister of Culture and Communication 2012-14 Minister-Delegate of Decentralisation Anne-Marie

 Escoffie 2012-14 Minister-Delegate of Foreign Affairs charged with French Abroad Hï¿½lï¿½ne Conway 2014-16 Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs charged with Development and the Francophonie Annick Girardin 2016- Minister of the Civil Service 2014- Secretary of State of Economy charged with IT Affairs Axelle Lemaire 2016- Secretary of State of Innovation 2014-16 Secretary of State of Social Affairs charged with Family, Seniors and the Automony Laurence Rossignol* 2016- Minister of Families, Children and Women's Rights 2014- Secretary of State of Social Affairs charged with Disabled Persons and the Fight Against Exclusion Sï¿½golï¿½ne Neuville 2014-15 Secretary of State of Cities charged with City Politics Myriam el-Khomri 2015- Minister of Labour, Employment, Professional Training and Social Dialogue Deputy Mayor of Paris from 2008.

2014-15 Secretary of State of Economy, Industry and IT Affairs charged with Artisans, Commerce Consumer Affairs and Social and Solidarity Economy Carole Delga President of the Region of Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrï¿½nï¿½es from 2015.

2014-15 Secretary of State of Women's Affairs at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Health and Women's Rights Pascale Boistard 2015-16 Secretary of State at the Prime Minister's Office for State Reform and Simplification Clotilde Valter 2016- Secretary of State of Labour charged with Professional Training and Apprentenceships 2015- Secretary of State of Economy, Industry and IT Affairs charged with Artisans, Commerce Consumer Affairs and Social and Solidaric Economy Martine Pinville 2016- Minister of Housing and Durable Living Emmanuelle Cosse 2016- Minister of Culture and Communication Audrey Azoulay 2016 Secretary of State at the Prime Minister's Office, charged with Real Equality Ericka Bareigts 2016- Minister of Overseas Affairs 2016- Secretary of State at the Prime Minister's Office, charged with Help for Victims Juliette Mï¿½ade 2016- Secretary of State of Environment charged with Biodiversity Barbara Pompili 2016- Secretary of State of the Minister of Territorial Planning charged with Territorial Collectivities Estelle Gre

lier 2016- Secretary of State of Economy charged with Commerce, Artsanship, Consumer Affairs and the Social and Solidaric Economy Martine Pinville 2016- Secretary of State of Urban Affairs charged with Urban Affairs Hï¿½lï¿½ne Geoffroy François Mitterrand - President (non-U.S.) - Biography.com François Mitterrand François Mitterrand served as president of France from 1981 to 1995.

Associated with the Socialist Party, he's known for trying to unify the French Left. IN THESE GROUPS » quotes “After the war, a man of my age didn't know where to go. I did not feel like a man of the right, because I disagreed with certain points, especially on social justice. I was tempted by socialism, but not by the parties that represented it.” “It's not dying about which I have any great worry. It's not living any more.” François Mitterrand Synopsis François Mitterrand was born on October 26, 1916, in Jarnac, France. Mitterrand served with the French forces during World War II. In 1971, he became secretary of the Socialist Party and tried to unify the French Left. He was elected president in 1981 and was re-elected in 1988, retiring at the end of that term. In 1991, Mitterrand appointed France's first female prime minister, Edith Cresson. He retired after completing his second term in office in 1995, and died in Paris in 1996.

Student and Soldier French statesman and president François Mitterrand was born on October 26, 1916, in Jarnac, France. One of eight children, Mitterrand grew up in a middle-class, Catholic family. His father worked as a stationmaster for a railroad company. Mitterrand attended College Saint-Paul in Angouleme. In 1934, he moved to Paris to continue his education. There, he studied law and politics at the University of Paris. Around this same time, Mitterrand showed an interest in right-wing politics and was reportedly a member of a conservative paramilitary group called the League of National Volunteers. After the start of World War II, Mitterrand served in the French Army. Wounded in battle in June 1940, he was taken prisoner, but escaped from a German prisoner of war camp in Kassel, Germany, the following year. Making his way back to France, Mitterrand found work as an official, helping former prisoners of war with the Marshall Philippe Petain-run Vichy government. He kept his involvement with this Nazi-backed regime hidden from the public for decades, in fear of being labeled a collaborator.

Mitterrand took pride, however, in his history as a member of the French Resistance. He joined the underground movement in 1943, working to organize former prisoners of war to fight for France's freedom. Through his work with the Resistance, Mitterrand met General Charles de Gaulle. Post-War Politician After the war ended, François Mitterrand served in de Gaulle's interim government. He won election to the National Assembly in 1946. Positioned initially as a centrist, Mitterrand held a number of government posts over the years. He acted as the minister for war veterans, minister for interior and minister for justice during this time. Mitterrand's political career came to a halt in the late 1950s, after he loudly opposed de Gaulle's creation of the Fifth Republic. As a result, he lost his Assembly seat in the 1958 election. For many years afterward, Mitterrand remained a stubborn opponent of de Gaulle. He even ran against de Gaulle for the presidency in 1965, but lost.

A few years later, Mitterrand fared better with a shift in his political ideolog: Working for unification of the French Left, he became secretary of the Socialist Party in 1971. With the backing of the country's Socialists and Communists, Mitterrand tried again for the presidency in 1974. He lost to Giscard d'Estaing by a narrow margin. Seven years later, however, he defeated d'Estaing to clinch France's top political post. President of France Following 1981 victory, Mitterrand embarked on a program of social and political reforms, seeking to nationalize banks and other businesses and improve workers' pay. He worked on job creation in an attempt to combat stagnation and unemployment, and successfully campaigned for abolition of the death penalty. The Socialists lost the majority in the National Assembly in 1986, forcing Mitterrand to work with the country's growing political right. More specifically, he had to find a way to cooperate with Prime Minister Jacques Chirac from 1986 to 1988.

Mitterrand was re-elected president in 1988, becoming the first French politician to twice win election by popular vote in the country's history. With German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, he forged the Treaty of Maastricht on European union in 1991. That same year, he appointed France's first female prime minister, Edith Cresson (she only remained in the post for a short time). France's increasingly troubled economy contributed to a decline in Mitterrand's last years as president. He also battled health problems during this time, undergoing two operations for prostate cancer while still in office. Final Years In 1995, Mitterrand resigned after completing his second term. His longtime rival, Jacques Chirac, succeeded him as France's president. During Mitterrand's retirement, revelations emerged of his friendship with wartime Vichy collaborators, political corruption and extra-marital affairs. Mitterrand died in Paris on January 8, 1996, at the age of 79. He was survived by his wife, Danielle (m.

1944-1996); two sons, Jean-Christophe and Gilbert; and daughter, Mazarine Pingeot (whom he'd had with his mistress, Anne Pingeot). Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us ! Citation Information

Question: Who became President of France in May 1995?
Answer: Jacques Chirac